Wheeled support having ladder assembly



'1 Feb. 19, 1952 D. 1.. GORDON WHEELED SUPPORT HAVING LADDER ASSEMBLY Filed April 20, 1950 S-SheetS-Sh'eet 1 IN V EN TOR. fla/v L. @0900 r w/M Feb. 19, 1952 D. 1.. GORDON WHEELED SUPPORT HAVING LADDER ASSEMBLY 3 Sheqts-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1950 Feb. 19, 1952 .1 GORDON 2,586,531

WHEELED SUPPORT IHAVING LADDER ASSEMBLY Filed April 20, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 26 r 36 if 4 I JNVENTOR.

BY .504 L. 6 0000 7 My Z Patented F eb. 19, 1952 r WHEEIJED SUPPORT HAVIN G LADDER ASSEMBLY Donald Gordon, Plymouth, Ind. ApnlicatiunzAmikZll, 1950,l.SerialNo. 157,11!Z

7* Claims.

My inventionrelates-to awheeledsupport" having aladder assembly,

An important obj ect. ofithe inventionsis to. provide a. ladder. assembly, whichjis easy to. adjust from the closed to. theopened=positicn.andiwhich I are employed to designaterlike. partsethroughout same,

Figure 1' is.a perspective, view ofgamotor. vehicle or. truck having. my ladder assembly -mounted. thereon, the, ladder assembly; being. raised or opened,-

Figure 21 is a planet... the same,.the.ladder. assembly beingclosed'or lowered,

Figure. 3 is a side elevationofjthe same Figure l isa transverse. section.taken ,on. line 4'-4.of Fhgure2g,

Figure 5- is atransverse section taken on line 5-5 ofFigure 2;

Figure. 6 is a central. vertical" section through one ofthe, pockets receiving: thelower. end; of the ladderraih.

Figure 'Tis. a. longitudinallsectiomtakenon, line 17 of Figure 2;

Figure, 8. is a, fragmentary, plan. viewr of one tubular track, parts inisection Figuree9' is. av fragmentary. perspective. view of the. rearsupporting. shaft; and-.- associated; elements,

Figure I0. is a. similar. view offitheibrward .supporting shaft and associatedelement's Figure 11 is. a..perspecti.ve.view of...a carr.iag-e, and

Figure I1. is, a longitudinallsectionMthrough. a modified form. of ladderr casing equipped; with rollers In..the;.drawings; the;numeral. designatestthe body of -a, utilitytruck, havinga; cab 21]? and wheels; 20!. and, 2.1!. This; tmwkzf-is emplo-yedsin servicinggor.maintainingsstneetzlightsiorxtheslike. Rigidl'y secured. to. the, rear. end oflltheo. body-. 2B

are. vertical .spaced;posts.or b'arsll, iliavihgib'ean 2: t lugs 22', rigidly secured thereto, and these bearings-pivotall'y receive a... horizontal .rear. tubular shaft; 23; receiving a rod 23', having nuts 24., which prevent the spreading of the posts 2|. Rigidly'mounte'd" upon the shaft 23 are. sleeves 24, clamped. to the shaft 23 by set screws-.25. The sleeves 2.4 haveladder casings 26 mounted thereontand rigidly secured thereto by welding or the like. The rear ends" of the ladder. casings 26 extend beyond the sleeves.24, for a shortdistance; The sleeves 24 are provided outwardly of"the..ladder-casings 261with U-shaped brackets 21', which. are rigidly secured to the sleeves 24 and the outer'sides of the ladder casings 26,' by welding or. the like; These ladder casings may beformed of channel-irons.

Rigidly secured to the forwardendl of thebody portion 20 are verticalxpostsor bars 28;,having bearings 29. mounted" thereon. These bearings pivotally. receive. a hori'zontal'transverse tubular shaft 30'; andth'e pcst's128' are. prevented; from spreading bya rod 31,. which extends through the tubularshaft and is provided atits endsivvith nuts" 3l',. as shown. Rigidly mounted. upon the shaft 30. are sleeves 32', having, upstanding integral radial webs 33, carrying sleeves 34),, integral therewith... Arranged'between the sleeves 32'an'd rigidly secured'to the shaf.t: 30 by welding or the like; is a horizontal angle-iron.35", as shown. This angle -iron 35." servesto supportlthe ladder casings 26 when these casings are horizontally arranged.

The sleeves 34 have cylindricaltubul'ar tracks 35" rigidly secured thereto by being inserted therein. These. tubular. tracks havelongitudinal slots 36 formed. upon their inner sides. Therear ends of the slots 36 are closed; Fig ure 8; and the rear end of thetubular tracks may beclosedby plugs 38'. Thevtubular. tracks 35 are disposed uponthe outer sides of the ladder casings. 26l andfthe rear ends of;'the tracks 35 are positionednear thelongitudinalcenters of "the casings 26. Mountedvto travel longitudinally withinw each tubular. track 351s a carriage 31, Figures 8 and;,l1,}including plates 38,1. arranged upon opposite sides.of= the flattened end ofia. stud139, pivoted; thereto=at .40. The plates 38 carry rollers4 l-, .whichstravel upon the inner. face, of lthe tubular. tracle. Thestud 3.9 extendsothroughtheislot.36 and has ahead."

'integraltherewith. The-studis pivotally mount ed'. within an. opening, 43;. formed. in. a. generally Uo-shapedrplatei trigidl'yv secured to the. ladder casingflfi -The.stud:39..-has ,a-swiveled-conneotion withfltheiplate 44. andthe headnfleengages abehind thisvplate Figure-fla. It. issthus seen that the tubular tracks are pivotally connected with the ladder casings 26 and the carriages 31 which are mounted upon the ladder casings 25 are free to travel longitudinally within the tubular tracks 35. The studs 39 are secured to the ladder casings 25 near their front or free ends.

When the ladder casings 26 are in the opened or raised positions, each carriage 37 may be locked against longitudinal movement. This is effected by means of a pin 45, inserted through an opening 46 in the tubular track 35, Figure 8. The pin 45 is carried by a chain 41 which is secured to the tubular track 35.

The numeral 48 designates the rails of a main I ladder having rungs 49. This mainladder' has its rails 48 slidably mounted within the ladder casings 26. The numeral 50 designates therails of an adjustable ladder, mounted upon the-main ladder and including rungs 5|. The rails 50 slide beneath guides 52, which are rigidly secured to ,the ladder casings 26. Any suitable means may be employed to vertically adjust the adjustable ladder and secure the same to the main ladder 4 iron 35'. When this occurs, the carriages 31 travel forwardly within the tubular tracks 35, and the rear ends of the tubular tracks move into the U-shaped brackets 21, Figures 2, 3 and 6. I contemplate equipping each ladder casing 26 with rollers, to reduce the friction with the ladder rail 48. When this is done, Figure 11 the .side webs .25 are equipped ,with openings 21', to

receive rollers 23', which are. suitably mounted upon the webs 26. These rollers engage the edges of the ladder rail 48. In Figures 4 and 5,

the rollers have been omitted.

1 It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without at the selected adjusted position. I may use a single ladder or an extension ladder, as shown.

The vehicle body 20 is provided at its back with a horizontal step 53, having depending pockets 54 to receive the lower ends of the lad- The forhorizontal and the rear ends of these-tubular tracks 35 are held within the U-shaped brackets 21, Figure 4. The adjustable ladder is secured to the main ladder so that they move as a unit with respect to the ladder casings 26. When it is desired to arrange the ladder vertically, thevehicle is brought to rest, and the ladder rails 48 are pulled rearwardly further beyond the rear ends of the casings 26, to provide suitable leverage, and the rails 48 are then swung from the horizontal to the vertical position, Figure 1. This movement of the rails 48 swings the ladder casings 26 from the horizontal to the vertical position, Figure 1. When the forward ends of the casings 25 are swung outwardly and rearwardly, the carriages 31 travel rearwardly within the tubular tracks 35, the studs 35 being free to turn within the openings 43. The rails 48 are now moved downwardly until their lower ends are inserted into the pockets 54, and this holds the ladder rails in the vertical position. The op'erator may now climb the ladder, and the upper ends of the ladder casings 25 are braced against lateral movement by inserting the pins behind the carriages 31, Figure 8. If desired, the adjustable ladder may be raised with respect to the main ladder and secured thereto in the adjusted position, as is well known. When it is desired to again transport the ladders, the pins 45 are removed from the openings 46 so that the carriages 31 are free to travel forwardly within the tubular tracks. The lower ends of the ladder rails 48 are now moved out of the pockets 54 and "the rear ends of these ladder rails are then manipulated to swing the ladders and the casings 26 to the forward horizontal position, so .75

that the casings 26 again rest upon the angledeparting from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subioined claims.

, Having thus described my invention, 1. claim: 1. The combination with a wheeled support, of a rear supportingdevice mounted upon the wheeled support, ladder casings having their rear ends pivotally mounted upon the supporting device so that the ladder casings swing substantially vertically, a forward supporting device mounted upon the Wheeled support, tubular tracks having their forward ends pivotally mounted upon the forward supporting device to swing substantially vertically, the forward supporting device also supporting the ladder casings when shifted to the substantially horizontal position, carriages pivotally mounted upon the ladder casings forwardly of their rear ends and operating within the tubular'tracks, a ladder having rails longitudinally adjustably mounted within the ladder casings, and a member carried by the wheeled support and having pockets to receive the ends of the ladder rails when such rails are substantially vertically arranged.

2. The combination with a wheeled support, of a supporting device mounted upon the support,

:ladder casings pivotally mounted upon the device to swing substantially vertically, a second supporting device mounted upon the wheeled support, tubular trackspivotally mounted upon the second supporting device to swing substantially vertically, said tubular tracks having longitudinal slots, carriages pivotally mounted upon the ladder casings and operating within the tubular tracks and having parts extending through the slots, a ladder having rails mounted Within the ladder casings to move longitudinally therein, a member carried by the wheeled support and having pockets to receive the ends of the ladder rails when the ladder rails are shifted to a sub stantially vertical position, and means tolock the ladder casings with the tubular rails.

3. The combination with a Wheeled support, of a rear substantially horizontal supporting member mounted upon the wheeled support, pivoted ladder casings mounted upon the substantially horizontal supporting member, a second substantially horizontal supporting member mounted-upon the wheeled support, swinging tubular tracks pivoted upon the second substantially horizontal supporting member and having rails longitudinallymovably mounted within the ladder casings, a member carried by the wheeled support and having parts for detachable interlocking engagement with the lower ends of the ladder rails when such rails are in the raised position, and releasable means to hold each carriage against movement in one direction within its tubular track, the ladder casings having their ends resting upon the second substantially horizontal supporting member when the ladder casings are in the lowered position.

4. The combination with a wheeled support, of a rear supporting device mounted upon the wheeled support, ladder casings pivotally mounted upon the rear supporting device for substantially vertical swinging movement to upright and lowered positions, a ladder including side rails longitudinally movably mounted within the ladder casings and swingable with the casings to the upright and lowered positions, a forward supporting device mounted upon the wheeled support, tracks pivotally mounted upon the forward supporting device for substantially vertical swinging movement, the tracks being arranged laterally outwardly of the ladder casings so that the casings may pass between the tracks durin the raising and lowering of the ladder, and carriages carried by the ladder casings forwardly of their pivotal connection with the rear supporting device and engaging the tracks to travel longitudinally thereof.

5. A portable ladder assembly comprising a wheeled support including forward and rear spaced supporting structures, ladder casings pivotally connected near their rear ends to the rear supporting structure and adapted to swing substantially vertically to upright and lowered substantially horizontal positions, tracks pivotally connected near their forward ends to the forward supporting structure and swingable substantially vertically and disposed laterally outwardly of the ladder casings so that the casings may pass between thetracks, follower elements secured to the ladder casings forwardly of their pivotal connection with the rear supporting structure and engaging the tracks to travel longitudinally thereof, and a ladder including side rails longitudinally movably mounted within the ladder casings and swingable with the same to the upright and lowered positions, the ladder casings passing between and extending longitudinally of the tracks in laterally opposed relation when in the lowered substantially horizontal position and then resting upon the forward supporting structure.

6. The combination with a wheeled support,

of a rear supporting device mounted upon the wheeled support, ladder casings pivotally secured to the rear supporting device for substantially vertical swinging movement, a forward supporting device mounted upon the wheeled support, tubular tracks pivotally secured to the forward supporting device to swing substantially vertically, the forward supporting device also serving to support the ladder casings when they are swung to a lowered substantially horizontal position, carriages pivotally mounted upon the ladder casings forwardly of the rear ends of the same and operating within the tubular tracks, a ladder having side rails longitudinally movably mounted within the ladder casings, and means carried by the wheeled support for releasably holding the lower ends of the ladder rails when such rails are in an upright position.

7. The combination with a wheeled support, of a rear supporting device mounted upon the wheeled support, ladder casings pivotally mounted upon the rear supporting device for substantially vertical swinging movement to raised and lowered positions, a forward supporting device mounted upon the wheeled support, tubular tracks pivotally mounted upon the forward supporting device to swing substantially vertically and having opposed longitudinal slots, carriages mounted within the tubular tracks for movement longitudinally thereof, studs secured to the carriages and extending through the longitudinal slots and pivotally secured to the ladder casings, a ladder having side rails longitudinally movably mounted within the ladder casings, and means carried by the wheeled support for engaging the side rails of the ladder near their lower ends and releasably holding the ladder in a generally vertical raised position, the ladder casings resting on the forward supporting device when the ladder is swung to the lowered substantially horizontal position.

DONALD L. GORDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 281,977 Coons July 24, 1883 2,035,537 Cowan et al Mar. 31, 1936 2,186,119 Moen Jan. 9, 1940 2,245,481 Kiley et a1. June 10, 1941 

